


The Jump

by haldoor



Series: Parental Involvement [15]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-09
Updated: 2013-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 21:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/790407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haldoor/pseuds/haldoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Warnings/Spoilers:</b> Spoilers for S3.20.  Canon probably didn't intend for Steve to be feeling the way I have suggested during the conversation between him and Freddie before going on the mission in North Korea. But, if you've read the previous instalments, you should be expecting something like this already anyway.<br/><b>Disclaimer:</b> No ownership; no profit.<br/><b>Beta:</b> Ran it past <span class="ljuser i-ljuser"></span><a href="http://kaige68.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://kaige68.livejournal.com/"></a><b>kaige68</b> but all mistakes are my own<br/><b>Summary:</b> Things have settled some between Steve and Freddie; but is Steve ready for the jump?<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Jump

**Author's Note:**

> This is Part 15 of the Parental Involvement series about Steve coming to terms with the fact he never told his father about his sexuality. There is some comparing of his uneasy relationship with his father to his current relationship with his mother after her twenty-year absence. This part takes place quite some time after Part 13, **What the Lady Wants**. All of the dialogue in this part is borrowed from S3.20. All other words are mine.
> 
> Apologies for the delay; I've been having issues lately with writing. The next part might take a while too, so sorry to everyone following! Thanks for your support, btw; I really appreciate it!

Steve could work with Freddie, even joke with him, these days. As long as he focused on the operation in hand, what had gone before didn't interfere. Sometimes Steve would fall back on old thoughts and wish for what couldn't be, but by the time he decided to take Freddie on the mission to North Korea he'd been pretending so well to himself for so long that there wasn't any reason not to. He was the best man for the job after all, and Steve could trust him.

"Hey, who packed this chute for you? It's not gonna open."

Steve didn't miss a beat. "It's only six miles down; I'll grab your legs."

When Freddie laughed Steve saw something in his eyes he wasn't sure he was familiar with. "What are you so cheerful about, huh? You've been grinning like a clown ever since we got airborne."

"I got married over the weekend."

The news hit Steve hard in the guts, but he managed to stay calm. "No, you didn't."

"Yeah. I did. Kelly and I decided we just couldn't live without each other, so…"

Steve swallowed hard. Last week they'd been arguing, and he had to admit, he'd hoped they'd break up, though he knew Freddie wouldn't come looking for him to take up where they'd left off. Pride wouldn't have let him take Freddie back, anyway. "Really? Last week you hated each other."

Freddie grinned. "That was last week. Then we found out we're having a baby, so…it's a girl."

Something cold and bitter seemed to have oozed into Steve's stomach, but he kept up the charade. "It's just getting better and better."

"So what the hell? I've been in love with her since high school. I wanna do the right thing." Freddie held out his arm, displaying a tattoo of a heart with 'Kelly' written through it.

Steve laughed, hoping it didn't sound as hollow to Freddie as it did to him.

"What do you think? I've never been much of a ring guy."

"I think you're a sentimental son of a bitch." Steve forced the words out light-heartedly. He had to at least pretend to be happy for the guy.

"Thanks, that's sweet of you, man…"

If Steve didn't follow that with a joke, Freddie would know how much it still hurt, and there was no way he could deal with any kind of pity. "You're a stupid one, too - Kelly's got two L's."

Freddie looked down as he spoke, worried. "C'mon…" He grinned again when he saw Steve was kidding.

"You can't read anyway; what's the difference?" Steve even managed to laugh, and Freddie joined in as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You scared me, man."

Steve knew he shouldn't begrudge Freddie the happiness, though he wasn't sure he'd ever feel the same about a woman. "Congratulations, Bubba."

"Thanks, brother. Don't think you're not going down next, Smoothdog. I've seen you with Lieutenant Rollins. That's the real deal, man. Try not to mess it up."

Steve couldn't speak for a moment. He nodded, frowning as he dropped his eyes away. "Roger that."

They stood, ready to jump.

Freddie grinned again. "Nothing better than this, huh?"

Steve took a breath, hoping to release the pain. "I can think of one thing. Changing dirty diapers."

They both laughed; it was almost easy between them. Perhaps this _was_ meant to be.

"I'll get back to you on that one," Freddie said.

"All right, Daddy-0," Steve offered, pushing any thoughts of anything but the mission ahead out of his mind as he jumped.

~//~


End file.
